Survey Review
This section provides an overview of the continuing cycle of questionnaire and question review to maintain the relevance of the survey. This includes both a bi-annual review of the actual questions asked in the survey, as well as other wider-reaching reviews loooking at issues such as survey methodology.
Further information is available for reviews for 2009 and 2005.
Please see the Consultation (ScotStat) section for further information on planning activity relating to the SHS.
Background
In line with National Statistics Best Practice, the Scottish Household Survey is reviewed every two years to ensure that the information collected is relevant to current policy interests and is making the best use of the time in the survey. The survey is regularly reviewed through consultation with external users and internal analysts.
Reviews happen every two years and their scope depends on the timing: as 2009 is the middle of the current contract this is a relatively small-scale review, and focused on reviewing the questionnaire content.
User Consultation
As part of this process it was necessary that you, the users of the SHS, got a chance to feed in your views on any changes you would like to see to the questionnaire. The consultaton process was launched at the SHS User Day in November 2007, with opportunities for both external users and internal analysts to bid for the inclusion, or removal, of particular questions.
Review Outcomes
The consultation closed in summar 2008, with the results are reviewed and analysed by the SHS Project Team. A Final Outcome Report was produced and presented to the SHS Technical Group in Autumn 2008, which was approved.
The recommendations of this report were then taken forward for consideration and subsequent development of the new questionnaire scripts. This was an iterative process between the SHS analysts and the consortium of contractors responsible for the SHS, and has seen some further refinement to the questions.
Summary of Review
The report avialable for downoad below outlines the review processes and what the final outcomes were. This demonstrates the change to the questionnaire, highlighting any discontinuity in the statistical collection.
We are currently producing a user-friendly version of the 2009 questionnaire and will be publishing that in the Autumn of 2009. Please see our Publications for further information.
If you have any queries in the mean time, please feel free to contact the SHS Project Team.